Over 500 items collected through annual KVOE Mitten Trees Thursday

The final count is in and the local community did a great job ensuring everyone will be warm and toasty this holiday season.

KVOE employees spent the latter half of Thursday morning and most of the early afternoon hours collecting the various Mitten Trees spread out across the area. The trees were located at seven different businesses across the community for the past month.

All donations were then taken to SOS and delivered for distribution to SOS clientele. All told, this year’s Mitten Tree drive generated 518 winter clothing donations.

SOS Director Connie Cahoone expressed her gratitude to the local community for its continued generosity. She says the recent participation and support of SOS initiatives shows residents have truly begun to recognize the agency’s importance to the local community.

Cahoone says when it comes to the clients they serve, many of them may be starting over from scratch. With that in mind, she says something as simple as a warm coat or pair of gloves can go a long way in warming them up physically and emotionally.

Mitten Trees were placed at the following locations:

*Emporia Public Library – Courtesy of Cargill
*Skin Studio
*Trox Gallery and Gifts and Gravel City Roasters
*Graves Drug
*Bluestem
*Mel’s Tire
*Next Tech Wireless

Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News